Public Data, Public Access, Privacy, and Security: U.S. Law and Policy

As data distribution capacities increase, there is increasing tension between access to public records as a foundation of a free society, citizen expectations of confidentiality, and protection of public security.

What data are subject to Freedom of Information laws?

What about privacy restrictions and homeland security concerns?

Can a government raise revenue (or defray maintenance costs) by charging market prices for the data?

What about liability for data errors?

This workshop will focus on the critical legal issues and the policy options they frame.

Specific topics include:

• State and federal Freedom of Information laws
• State and federal informational privacy laws
• Secrecy and homeland security protections
• Balancing public access, privacy, and secrecy
• Data sales vs. data access
• Protecting ownership and minimizing liability
• Policy and technical considerations

Intended Audience: This workshop is intended for public sector managers, elected officials, and policy professionals, database developers and administrators, and GIS professionals.

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